Real in pole position to bag Gareth Bale

Tottenham's flying Welshman Gareth Bale is one of the players Real Madrid has its sights on to bolster its squad for the 2013-14 season. Initial talks about a deal were held this summer while the two clubs were finalising Luka Modric's move to Madrid.

Real Madrid enquired about Bale and was told that he wasn't for sale, but that 'Los Blancos' will be given first refusal when the Londoners do listen to offers. It is looking likely that this day will come this summer, because Bale has made it clear that he wants to play for a club where he can grow and compete for major trophies.

There are various reasons why 'Los Blancos' are in pole position to capture the Welshman. First amongst them is the excellent relationship between Tottenham and Real Madrid, following various pieces of business between the clubs in recent years (including Van der Vaart's cut-price switch to London, Madrid pulling out of the race for Adebayor to smooth Spurs' bid to sign him, and Modric's move in the opposite direction).

Secondly, the North Londoners know that there are numerous clubs in for Bale, but do not want to strengthen a direct rival by selling him to another English side. Finally, and most importantly, Bale is interested in playing for Madrid.

While the deal seems to tick a lot of the right boxes, as ever in the transfer market, the price tag could stall or scupper any potential move. The Madrid top brass are unwilling to pay over the odds given the current economic crisis. Bale is an excellent player, but they aren't determined to sign him at any cost.

Figures ranging from ¤50m to ¤60m have been bandied about in the British media, with the Premier League's trio of financial big boys – Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United – reportedly circling to swoop for the Welshman. However, the fact is that Spurs has yet to put an official price on the winger's head. That will come later.

Real Madrid has equally yet to sit down and thrash out exactly how much it would be willing to fork out. 'Los Blancos' do, however, have a precedent to go on – the ¤35 million they paid for Luka Modric, which could serve as a benchmark when it comes to negotiating for Bale.

Madrid has been keeping close tabs on the 23-year-old for some time now and has been blown away by his development. Having started out as a left-back, he has since migrated to the wing, where he is given the freedom to roam and make an impact all over the pitch. He has an excellent eye for goal, as proven by his hat-trick against Aston Villa on Wednesday, when he put on a masterclass.

José Mourinho is known to be a big fan of the former Southampton star, leading 'Los Blancos' to step up their interest once the Portuguese coach arrived at the club.

Although Mou staying would increase the likelihood of Madrid pushing for Bale, the biggest factor for or against any potential deal will be the price tag Spurs place around his neck, not the man in the Bernabéu dugout.